Method for providing a privacy-enabled service to users

Abstract

A method for providing a privacy-enabled service is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a client with an organization ID [RS1] and generating a set of system system IDs which are assigned to the organization and associated with the client organization ID. The set of system system IDs and the organization ID are then distributed to client-designated users by the client organization system ID to permit the user to access a survey and a feedback mechanism provided by the organization. The organization is provided with information submitted by users in a de-identified aggregate, subject to certain k-anonymity controls to protect individuals who have submitted information from being identified due to changes in the aggregate via timing or scarcity of answers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing a privacy-enabled service, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing, a client ID to an organization;   generating a set of system IDs affiliated with the client ID and assigning the set of system IDs to an organization, wherein the set of system IDs are assigned to a user by the organization and associated with that user in the organization's own systems; and   the organization providing both the organization ID and the system ID assigned by the organization to the user to permit the user to access a survey and a feedback mechanism on the system that has been assigned or made available by the organization.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of system IDs are alphanumeric. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of system IDs is assigned to and associated with the user by the client. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of system IDs are activated by the organization before the system IDs are distributed to the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organization adds trust metric data associated with the user to the original system ID prior to distributing it to the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of removing the trust metric data from the set of system IDs. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of storing the trust metric data in a pre-processing data quarantine. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of logging and hashing the set of system IDs. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the trust metric data is used as a point of verification for one or more answers provided by the user. 
     
     
         10 . A method for providing a privacy-enabled service, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing, a client ID to an organization;   generating a set of system IDs affiliated with the client ID and assigning the set of system IDs to an organization, wherein the set of system IDs are distributed to a user by the organization and associated with that user in the organization's own systems; and   assigning, via the organization, both the organization ID and the system ID to the user to permit the user to access a survey and a feedback mechanism on the system that has been assigned or made available by the organization, wherein the organization is provided information provided by the user solely in the de-identified aggregate and subject to certain k-anonymity protocols to prevent the identification of the user, wherein the user can edit, delete, or opt-out of one or more submitted survey answers.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein user-provided data or opt-out information is transmitted to a survey/feedback database tied only to the hashed original system ID. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the set of system IDs are activated by the organization before the system IDs are distributed to the user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the organization enters trust metric data associated with the set of system IDs associated with the user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the trust metric data is unable to enter the survey/feedback database. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of removing the trust metric data from the set of system IDs. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of storing the trust metric data in a pre-processing data quarantine that does not allow the data to progress and can only interact with the remainder of the system as a point of verification for trust metric answers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of logging and hashing the set of system IDs. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the trust metric data is used as a point of verification for one or more answers provided by the user in response to corresponding trust metric questions. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of permitting the user to answer one or more trust metric questions established by the client organization, wherein the answer is flagged in the system as a trust metric fail if the user opts out of the answer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the answer is compared to the trust metric data to determine if information is valid and can be stored as an answer.